US20150184358A1 - Self Cleaning Collection Apparatus and Method - Google Patents
Self Cleaning Collection Apparatus and Method Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20150184358A1 US20150184358A1 US14/416,627 US201314416627A US2015184358A1 US 20150184358 A1 US20150184358 A1 US 20150184358A1 US 201314416627 A US201314416627 A US 201314416627A US 2015184358 A1 US2015184358 A1 US 2015184358A1
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- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- discs
- collecting apparatus
- clearing
- clearing members
- seafloor
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Classifications
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E02—HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING; FOUNDATIONS; SOIL SHIFTING
- E02F—DREDGING; SOIL-SHIFTING
- E02F3/00—Dredgers; Soil-shifting machines
- E02F3/04—Dredgers; Soil-shifting machines mechanically-driven
- E02F3/88—Dredgers; Soil-shifting machines mechanically-driven with arrangements acting by a sucking or forcing effect, e.g. suction dredgers
- E02F3/90—Component parts, e.g. arrangement or adaptation of pumps
- E02F3/92—Digging elements, e.g. suction heads
- E02F3/9293—Component parts of suction heads, e.g. edges, strainers for preventing the entry of stones or the like
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B07—SEPARATING SOLIDS FROM SOLIDS; SORTING
- B07B—SEPARATING SOLIDS FROM SOLIDS BY SIEVING, SCREENING, SIFTING OR BY USING GAS CURRENTS; SEPARATING BY OTHER DRY METHODS APPLICABLE TO BULK MATERIAL, e.g. LOOSE ARTICLES FIT TO BE HANDLED LIKE BULK MATERIAL
- B07B1/00—Sieving, screening, sifting, or sorting solid materials using networks, gratings, grids, or the like
- B07B1/12—Apparatus having only parallel elements
- B07B1/14—Roller screens
- B07B1/15—Roller screens using corrugated, grooved or ribbed rollers
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B07—SEPARATING SOLIDS FROM SOLIDS; SORTING
- B07B—SEPARATING SOLIDS FROM SOLIDS BY SIEVING, SCREENING, SIFTING OR BY USING GAS CURRENTS; SEPARATING BY OTHER DRY METHODS APPLICABLE TO BULK MATERIAL, e.g. LOOSE ARTICLES FIT TO BE HANDLED LIKE BULK MATERIAL
- B07B1/00—Sieving, screening, sifting, or sorting solid materials using networks, gratings, grids, or the like
- B07B1/46—Constructional details of screens in general; Cleaning or heating of screens
- B07B1/50—Cleaning
- B07B1/52—Cleaning with brushes or scrapers
- B07B1/526—Cleaning with brushes or scrapers with scrapers
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B07—SEPARATING SOLIDS FROM SOLIDS; SORTING
- B07B—SEPARATING SOLIDS FROM SOLIDS BY SIEVING, SCREENING, SIFTING OR BY USING GAS CURRENTS; SEPARATING BY OTHER DRY METHODS APPLICABLE TO BULK MATERIAL, e.g. LOOSE ARTICLES FIT TO BE HANDLED LIKE BULK MATERIAL
- B07B1/00—Sieving, screening, sifting, or sorting solid materials using networks, gratings, grids, or the like
- B07B1/46—Constructional details of screens in general; Cleaning or heating of screens
- B07B1/50—Cleaning
- B07B1/52—Cleaning with brushes or scrapers
- B07B1/526—Cleaning with brushes or scrapers with scrapers
- B07B1/528—Cleaning with brushes or scrapers with scrapers the scrapers being rotating
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E02—HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING; FOUNDATIONS; SOIL SHIFTING
- E02F—DREDGING; SOIL-SHIFTING
- E02F3/00—Dredgers; Soil-shifting machines
- E02F3/04—Dredgers; Soil-shifting machines mechanically-driven
- E02F3/18—Dredgers; Soil-shifting machines mechanically-driven with digging wheels turning round an axis, e.g. bucket-type wheels
- E02F3/181—Dredgers; Soil-shifting machines mechanically-driven with digging wheels turning round an axis, e.g. bucket-type wheels including a conveyor
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E02—HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING; FOUNDATIONS; SOIL SHIFTING
- E02F—DREDGING; SOIL-SHIFTING
- E02F3/00—Dredgers; Soil-shifting machines
- E02F3/04—Dredgers; Soil-shifting machines mechanically-driven
- E02F3/18—Dredgers; Soil-shifting machines mechanically-driven with digging wheels turning round an axis, e.g. bucket-type wheels
- E02F3/22—Component parts
- E02F3/24—Digging wheels; Digging elements of wheels; Drives for wheels
- E02F3/248—Cleaning the wheels or emptying the digging elements mounted on the wheels, e.g. in combination with spoil removing equipment
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E02—HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING; FOUNDATIONS; SOIL SHIFTING
- E02F—DREDGING; SOIL-SHIFTING
- E02F3/00—Dredgers; Soil-shifting machines
- E02F3/04—Dredgers; Soil-shifting machines mechanically-driven
- E02F3/88—Dredgers; Soil-shifting machines mechanically-driven with arrangements acting by a sucking or forcing effect, e.g. suction dredgers
- E02F3/8858—Submerged units
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E02—HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING; FOUNDATIONS; SOIL SHIFTING
- E02F—DREDGING; SOIL-SHIFTING
- E02F3/00—Dredgers; Soil-shifting machines
- E02F3/04—Dredgers; Soil-shifting machines mechanically-driven
- E02F3/88—Dredgers; Soil-shifting machines mechanically-driven with arrangements acting by a sucking or forcing effect, e.g. suction dredgers
- E02F3/90—Component parts, e.g. arrangement or adaptation of pumps
- E02F3/92—Digging elements, e.g. suction heads
- E02F3/9212—Mechanical digging means, e.g. suction wheels, i.e. wheel with a suction inlet attached behind the wheel
- E02F3/9225—Mechanical digging means, e.g. suction wheels, i.e. wheel with a suction inlet attached behind the wheel with rotating cutting elements
- E02F3/9237—Suction wheels with axis of rotation in transverse direction of the longitudinal axis of the suction pipe
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E02—HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING; FOUNDATIONS; SOIL SHIFTING
- E02F—DREDGING; SOIL-SHIFTING
- E02F5/00—Dredgers or soil-shifting machines for special purposes
- E02F5/006—Dredgers or soil-shifting machines for special purposes adapted for working ground under water not otherwise provided for
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E21—EARTH DRILLING; MINING
- E21C—MINING OR QUARRYING
- E21C50/00—Obtaining minerals from underwater, not otherwise provided for
Definitions
- the present invention relates generally to seafloor mining and collection operations.
- the invention relates, but is not limited, to a seafloor collecting apparatus.
- Seabed excavation is often performed by dredging, for example to retrieve valuable alluvial placer deposits or to keep waterways navigable.
- Suction dredging involves positioning a gathering end of a pipe or tube close to the seabed material to be excavated, and using a surface pump to generate a negative differential pressure to draw water and nearby seafloor sediment into and up the pipe.
- Cutter suction dredging further provides a cutter head at or near the suction inlet to release compacted soils, gravels or even hard rock, to be drawn into the pipe.
- a problem with prior art dredging devices is that the suction inlet or pipe can become blocked with large chunks of ‘oversize’ material.
- One method for preventing oversize material from blocking the pipe is to place a screen over the inlet end of the pipe. However, this typically just transfers the problem to the screen, and oversize material can collect on the screen causing a blockage at the inlet.
- Any such blockages are highly undesirable as they reduce efficiency of the operations. At significant water depths, e.g. over 1000 m, they can become particularly problematic as it is not possible to readily perform maintenance or retrieve the device to the surface.
- the invention resides in a collecting apparatus that operates on a seafloor, the apparatus comprising a plurality of discs disposed in front of a slurry suction pipe and one or more clearing members, each of the one or more clearing members being located at least partially between adjacent discs of the plurality of discs.
- the plurality of discs are attached to a shaft.
- the shaft is operatively connected to at least one motor.
- the plurality of discs are spaced uniformly along at least a portion of the shaft.
- adjacent discs of the plurality of discs are spaced from one another at a predetermined distance corresponding to a predetermined maximum size of material to be drawn into the slurry suction pipe.
- the plurality of discs are preferably located adjacent a rear housing panel that also limits the particle size drawn into the slurry suction pipe.
- At least one auger is disposed adjacent to the plurality of discs. More preferably, at least one auger is attached to the shaft. Preferably the auger is arranged to urge material in a direction parallel to the axis of the shaft. Preferably the direction parallel to the axis of the shaft is toward the plurality of discs.
- two augers are attached to the shaft, one on either side of the plurality of discs. The two augers are preferably arranged in an opposed configuration such that they both draw material along the axis of the shaft towards the plurality of discs between them.
- the slurry inlet is a suction inlet.
- the collecting apparatus comprises a pump fluidly connected to the slurry inlet.
- the slurry inlet may have a screen that limits material over a predetermined size being drawn into the slurry inlet.
- the slurry inlet does not have a screen and is arranged such that the plurality of discs and the one or more clearing members limit material over a predetermined size being drawn into the slurry inlet.
- the one or more clearing members are arranged such that material over the predetermined size is passed over the top of the clearing member and plurality of discs where it preferably falls behind the collecting apparatus so that oversize material does not hold up progress of seafloor collection activities.
- the one or more clearing members are a plurality of clearing members. More preferably, the number of clearing members corresponds to the number of spaces between the plurality of discs, with one clearing member being disposed between each pair of adjacent discs. Typically, each of the one or more clearing members is attached to a support member.
- each of the one or more clearing members is in the form of a finger.
- the one or more clearing members are preferably integrally formed with a support member to form a clearing comb that has a plurality of fingers.
- the clearing comb is preferably mounted adjacent the plurality of discs such that a finger is located between each pair of adjacent discs.
- the clearing comb is mounted in front of the slurry inlet with respect to a forward direction of travel.
- the one or more clearing members may be adapted to rotate, preferably around a common shaft.
- Each of the one or more clearing members may have a plurality of finger members, preferably disposed radially around an axis of the shaft.
- the collecting apparatus further comprises a cutting head.
- the cutting head is a drum shearer head.
- the cutting head is preferably arranged in front of the plurality of discs with respect to a forward direction of travel.
- the collecting apparatus is mobile.
- the collecting apparatus drives on the seafloor. More preferably the collecting apparatus is track mounted.
- the invention resides in a method of preventing debris from blocking a slurry inlet, the method including the step of rotating a plurality of discs relative to one or more clearing members such that debris lodged between respective adjacent discs is dislodged by the one or more clearing members.
- the debris is seafloor material over a predetermined size, or oversize.
- seafloor material under the predetermined size is passed through the plurality of discs to the slurry inlet unhindered by the one or more clearing members.
- the method further includes the step of rotating the at least one clearing member.
- the clearing member is rotated in the same direction as the plurality of discs.
- the present invention provides a collecting apparatus adaptable in some embodiments to deployment at significant water depths.
- some embodiments may be operable at depths greater than about 400 m, more preferably greater than 1000 m and more preferably greater than 1500 m depth.
- some embodiments of the present invention may also present a useful seafloor mining option in water as shallow as 100 m or other relatively shallow submerged applications. Accordingly it is to be appreciated that references to the seafloor or seabed are not intended to exclude application of the present invention to mining or excavation of lake floors, estuary floors, fjord floors, sound floors, bay floors, harbour floors or the like, whether in salt, brackish, or fresh water, and such applications are included within the scope of the present specification.
- FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a collecting portion of an embodiment of the invention
- FIG. 2 shows a front elevation view of the collecting portion of an embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 1 ;
- FIG. 3 shows a schematic side elevation view of an embodiment of the invention
- FIG. 4 shows a schematic side elevation view of the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 3 in a different position
- FIG. 5 shows a schematic section view of a collecting portion of an embodiment of the invention.
- FIG. 6 shows a schematic section view of a collection portion of an alternative embodiment of the invention.
- the collecting portion 20 comprises a plurality of discs 22 disposed in front of a slurry suction pipe 21 (not shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , see FIGS. 5 and 6 ) positioned to receive seafloor material from the plurality of discs 22 .
- Clearing members 24 in the form of fingers, are disposed between the discs 22 with a single clearing member 24 being arranged between each adjacent pair of discs 22 .
- the discs 22 are attached to a central shaft 23 (seen most clearly in FIG. 2 ).
- the central shaft 23 is connected to motors 36 which are attached to a frame 30 .
- Augers 28 are attached to the central shaft 23 on either side of the discs 22 . Augers 28 are arranged such that in use, when the central shaft 23 is rotating, nearby material is urged by the augers 28 inwards towards the plurality of discs 24 and slurry suction pipe 21 .
- the clearing members 24 are attached to a support member 26 which is secured to the frame 30 . Together the clearing members 24 and the support member 26 form a clearing comb. In an embodiment the clearing members 24 are fingers that are integral with the support member 26 .
- the frame 30 comprises deflectors 32 .
- Skids 34 are attached to the frame 30 and the deflectors 32 .
- the frame 30 is pivotably attached to a support arm 38 .
- Cylinders 40 are attached between the support arm 38 and the frame 30 . Cylinders 40 are connected such that they can be utilised to adjust the angle of the frame 30 relative to the support arm 38 .
- FIGS. 3 and 4 show the collecting apparatus 10 having a collecting portion 20 adjacent to the seafloor 70 .
- the collecting apparatus 10 further comprises a cutting head 50 .
- FIG. 3 shows the cutting head 50 in an upper position and
- FIG. 4 shows the cutting head 50 in a lower position.
- the collecting apparatus 10 further comprises tracks 60 such that the collecting apparatus 10 can traverse the seafloor 70 .
- FIG. 5 illustrates a section view of the collection portion 20 showing a single disc 22 attached to the central shaft 23 .
- the clearing member 24 is configured such that it is located between adjacent discs 22 in front of a rear housing panel and slurry suction pipe 21 .
- the location of the clearing member 24 and discs 22 relative to the slurry suction pipe 21 limits the size of any particles which can enter the slurry suction pipe 21 .
- the collecting apparatus 10 is located on the seafloor 70 .
- the collecting apparatus 10 is typically remotely operated, for example from a surface vessel or platform (not shown). It will be appreciated that the collecting apparatus 10 may operate autonomously.
- the collecting apparatus 10 traverses the seafloor 70 while the cutting head 50 is moved along the seafloor 70 processing portions of the seafloor 70 into cuttings (not shown) suitable for transport as slurry. As illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4 , the cutting head 50 can be manoeuvred, for example upwards and downwards, to process larger portions of the seafloor 70 at a time. The processed cuttings fall downwards and land on the seafloor 70 in front of the collecting portion 20 .
- the collecting portion 20 collects the cuttings from the seafloor 70 .
- the collecting portion 20 ‘rides’ over the seafloor 70 on skids 34 as the collecting apparatus 10 is moved forward.
- the angle of the frame 30 relative to the support arm 38 can be adjusted by extension or retraction of the cylinders 40 to accommodate changes in the seafloor 70 .
- the deflectors 32 of the collecting portion 20 are adapted to deflect the cuttings inwards towards the augers 28 and the discs 22 .
- the augers 28 and the discs 22 are rotated by motors 36 . Rotation of the augers 28 urges the cuttings around the augers 28 inwards towards the discs 22 .
- the slurry suction pipe 21 draws loose seafloor material, including the cuttings, together with seawater to form slurry which is transferred via a slurry transfer pipe (not shown) from the collecting apparatus 10 to another location such as a riser or stockpile site.
- the loose seafloor material is drawn through the spaces between the discs 22 and into the slurry suction pipe 21 .
- the cutting head 50 is typically arranged to produce cuttings of a predetermined size, or at least cuttings that are no larger than a predetermined size. Nevertheless, oversize material (debris over a predetermined size) which maybe from the seafloor or the cuttings, can become lodged between adjacent discs 22 . As the discs 22 rotate, the oversize material is lifted with the discs 22 to the clearing members 24 and the clearing members 24 dislodge the oversize material from the discs 22 .
- the dislodged oversize material passes over the top of the clearing members 24 and support member 26 , allowing for the collection device to continue collecting despite the presence of oversize material and without the oversize material gathering in front of the collection device.
- the oversize material may be processed on further passes of the collecting apparatus 10 .
- FIG. 6 there is shown a cross sectional schematic view showing a disc 22 and clearing member 24 according to an alternative embodiment of the invention.
- the clearing member 24 has three finger members 25 which extend radially around a shaft 27 . It will be appreciated that typically there are a plurality of clearing members 24 attached to the shaft 27 and each clearing member 24 is located at least partially between an adjacent pair of discs 22 .
- slurry is drawn through the spaces between discs 22 and into the slurry suction pipe 21 .
- Discs 22 and clearing members 24 both rotate in a clockwise direction. Any oversize material which becomes lodged between adjacent discs 22 will rotate with the discs 22 .
- the finger members 25 of the clearing members 24 dislodge and lift out the oversize material from the discs 22 as the finger members 25 rotate.
- the invention provides an apparatus and method for collecting seafloor material that filters oversize material (i.e. debris over a predetermined size) from entering the slurry suction pipe.
- oversize material i.e. debris over a predetermined size
- the discs 22 are self cleaning via their relationship with the clearing members 24 which significantly reduces the likelihood of blockages occurring and/or the need for maintenance to be conducted due to oversize material.
- the invention improves efficiency and increases the reliability of collection machines, resulting in an improvement to seafloor mining operations.
Abstract
Description
- The present invention relates generally to seafloor mining and collection operations. In particular the invention relates, but is not limited, to a seafloor collecting apparatus.
- Seabed excavation is often performed by dredging, for example to retrieve valuable alluvial placer deposits or to keep waterways navigable. Suction dredging involves positioning a gathering end of a pipe or tube close to the seabed material to be excavated, and using a surface pump to generate a negative differential pressure to draw water and nearby seafloor sediment into and up the pipe. Cutter suction dredging further provides a cutter head at or near the suction inlet to release compacted soils, gravels or even hard rock, to be drawn into the pipe.
- A problem with prior art dredging devices is that the suction inlet or pipe can become blocked with large chunks of ‘oversize’ material. One method for preventing oversize material from blocking the pipe is to place a screen over the inlet end of the pipe. However, this typically just transfers the problem to the screen, and oversize material can collect on the screen causing a blockage at the inlet.
- Any such blockages are highly undesirable as they reduce efficiency of the operations. At significant water depths, e.g. over 1000 m, they can become particularly problematic as it is not possible to readily perform maintenance or retrieve the device to the surface.
- Any discussion of documents, acts, materials, devices, articles or the like which has been included in the present specification is solely for the purpose of providing a context for the present invention. It is not to be taken as an admission that any or all of these matters form part of the prior art base or were common general knowledge in the field relevant to the present invention as it existed before the priority date of each claim of this application.
- It is an object of the invention to overcome or at least alleviate one or more of the above problems and/or provide the consumer with a useful or commercial choice.
- Other preferred objects of the present invention will become apparent from the following description.
- In one form, although it need not be the only or indeed the broadest form, the invention resides in a collecting apparatus that operates on a seafloor, the apparatus comprising a plurality of discs disposed in front of a slurry suction pipe and one or more clearing members, each of the one or more clearing members being located at least partially between adjacent discs of the plurality of discs.
- Preferably, the plurality of discs are attached to a shaft. Typically the shaft is operatively connected to at least one motor. Preferably the plurality of discs are spaced uniformly along at least a portion of the shaft. Preferably adjacent discs of the plurality of discs are spaced from one another at a predetermined distance corresponding to a predetermined maximum size of material to be drawn into the slurry suction pipe. The plurality of discs are preferably located adjacent a rear housing panel that also limits the particle size drawn into the slurry suction pipe.
- Preferably, at least one auger is disposed adjacent to the plurality of discs. More preferably, at least one auger is attached to the shaft. Preferably the auger is arranged to urge material in a direction parallel to the axis of the shaft. Preferably the direction parallel to the axis of the shaft is toward the plurality of discs. In a preferred form, two augers are attached to the shaft, one on either side of the plurality of discs. The two augers are preferably arranged in an opposed configuration such that they both draw material along the axis of the shaft towards the plurality of discs between them.
- Preferably the slurry inlet is a suction inlet. Typically the collecting apparatus comprises a pump fluidly connected to the slurry inlet. The slurry inlet may have a screen that limits material over a predetermined size being drawn into the slurry inlet. However, in a preferred form the slurry inlet does not have a screen and is arranged such that the plurality of discs and the one or more clearing members limit material over a predetermined size being drawn into the slurry inlet. Preferably the one or more clearing members are arranged such that material over the predetermined size is passed over the top of the clearing member and plurality of discs where it preferably falls behind the collecting apparatus so that oversize material does not hold up progress of seafloor collection activities.
- Preferably the one or more clearing members are a plurality of clearing members. More preferably, the number of clearing members corresponds to the number of spaces between the plurality of discs, with one clearing member being disposed between each pair of adjacent discs. Typically, each of the one or more clearing members is attached to a support member.
- Preferably each of the one or more clearing members is in the form of a finger. The one or more clearing members are preferably integrally formed with a support member to form a clearing comb that has a plurality of fingers. The clearing comb is preferably mounted adjacent the plurality of discs such that a finger is located between each pair of adjacent discs. Preferably the clearing comb is mounted in front of the slurry inlet with respect to a forward direction of travel.
- In an alternative form, the one or more clearing members may be adapted to rotate, preferably around a common shaft. Each of the one or more clearing members may have a plurality of finger members, preferably disposed radially around an axis of the shaft.
- Preferably, the collecting apparatus further comprises a cutting head. Typically the cutting head is a drum shearer head. The cutting head is preferably arranged in front of the plurality of discs with respect to a forward direction of travel.
- Preferably, the collecting apparatus is mobile. Preferably the collecting apparatus drives on the seafloor. More preferably the collecting apparatus is track mounted.
- In another form, the invention resides in a method of preventing debris from blocking a slurry inlet, the method including the step of rotating a plurality of discs relative to one or more clearing members such that debris lodged between respective adjacent discs is dislodged by the one or more clearing members.
- Preferably the debris is seafloor material over a predetermined size, or oversize. Preferably seafloor material under the predetermined size is passed through the plurality of discs to the slurry inlet unhindered by the one or more clearing members.
- In a form, the method further includes the step of rotating the at least one clearing member. Preferably the clearing member is rotated in the same direction as the plurality of discs.
- Further, the present invention provides a collecting apparatus adaptable in some embodiments to deployment at significant water depths. For example some embodiments may be operable at depths greater than about 400 m, more preferably greater than 1000 m and more preferably greater than 1500 m depth. Nevertheless it is to be appreciated that some embodiments of the present invention may also present a useful seafloor mining option in water as shallow as 100 m or other relatively shallow submerged applications. Accordingly it is to be appreciated that references to the seafloor or seabed are not intended to exclude application of the present invention to mining or excavation of lake floors, estuary floors, fjord floors, sound floors, bay floors, harbour floors or the like, whether in salt, brackish, or fresh water, and such applications are included within the scope of the present specification.
- Further features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description.
- To assist in understanding the invention and to enable a person skilled in the art to put the invention into practical effect, preferred embodiments of the invention will be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
-
FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a collecting portion of an embodiment of the invention; -
FIG. 2 shows a front elevation view of the collecting portion of an embodiment of the invention shown inFIG. 1 ; -
FIG. 3 shows a schematic side elevation view of an embodiment of the invention; -
FIG. 4 shows a schematic side elevation view of the embodiment of the invention shown inFIG. 3 in a different position; -
FIG. 5 shows a schematic section view of a collecting portion of an embodiment of the invention; and -
FIG. 6 shows a schematic section view of a collection portion of an alternative embodiment of the invention. - With reference to
FIGS. 1 , 2, 3, and 4 of the drawings, there is shown a collectingportion 20 of a collecting apparatus. The collectingportion 20 comprises a plurality ofdiscs 22 disposed in front of a slurry suction pipe 21 (not shown inFIGS. 1 and 2 , seeFIGS. 5 and 6 ) positioned to receive seafloor material from the plurality ofdiscs 22.Clearing members 24, in the form of fingers, are disposed between thediscs 22 with asingle clearing member 24 being arranged between each adjacent pair ofdiscs 22. - The
discs 22 are attached to a central shaft 23 (seen most clearly inFIG. 2 ). Thecentral shaft 23 is connected tomotors 36 which are attached to aframe 30.Augers 28 are attached to thecentral shaft 23 on either side of thediscs 22.Augers 28 are arranged such that in use, when thecentral shaft 23 is rotating, nearby material is urged by theaugers 28 inwards towards the plurality ofdiscs 24 andslurry suction pipe 21. - The
clearing members 24 are attached to asupport member 26 which is secured to theframe 30. Together theclearing members 24 and thesupport member 26 form a clearing comb. In an embodiment theclearing members 24 are fingers that are integral with thesupport member 26. - The
frame 30 comprisesdeflectors 32.Skids 34 are attached to theframe 30 and thedeflectors 32. - The
frame 30 is pivotably attached to asupport arm 38.Cylinders 40 are attached between thesupport arm 38 and theframe 30.Cylinders 40 are connected such that they can be utilised to adjust the angle of theframe 30 relative to thesupport arm 38. -
FIGS. 3 and 4 show the collectingapparatus 10 having a collectingportion 20 adjacent to theseafloor 70. The collectingapparatus 10 further comprises a cuttinghead 50.FIG. 3 shows the cuttinghead 50 in an upper position andFIG. 4 shows the cuttinghead 50 in a lower position. The collectingapparatus 10 further comprisestracks 60 such that the collectingapparatus 10 can traverse theseafloor 70. -
FIG. 5 illustrates a section view of thecollection portion 20 showing asingle disc 22 attached to thecentral shaft 23. The clearingmember 24 is configured such that it is located betweenadjacent discs 22 in front of a rear housing panel andslurry suction pipe 21. The location of the clearingmember 24 anddiscs 22 relative to theslurry suction pipe 21 limits the size of any particles which can enter theslurry suction pipe 21. - In use with reference to
FIGS. 1 to 5 , the collectingapparatus 10 is located on theseafloor 70. The collectingapparatus 10 is typically remotely operated, for example from a surface vessel or platform (not shown). It will be appreciated that the collectingapparatus 10 may operate autonomously. - The collecting
apparatus 10 traverses theseafloor 70 while the cuttinghead 50 is moved along theseafloor 70 processing portions of theseafloor 70 into cuttings (not shown) suitable for transport as slurry. As illustrated inFIGS. 3 and 4 , the cuttinghead 50 can be manoeuvred, for example upwards and downwards, to process larger portions of theseafloor 70 at a time. The processed cuttings fall downwards and land on theseafloor 70 in front of the collectingportion 20. - As the collecting
apparatus 10 is moved forward bytracks 60, the collectingportion 20 collects the cuttings from theseafloor 70. The collecting portion 20 ‘rides’ over theseafloor 70 onskids 34 as the collectingapparatus 10 is moved forward. The angle of theframe 30 relative to thesupport arm 38 can be adjusted by extension or retraction of thecylinders 40 to accommodate changes in theseafloor 70. - The
deflectors 32 of the collectingportion 20 are adapted to deflect the cuttings inwards towards theaugers 28 and thediscs 22. Theaugers 28 and thediscs 22 are rotated bymotors 36. Rotation of theaugers 28 urges the cuttings around theaugers 28 inwards towards thediscs 22. - The
slurry suction pipe 21 draws loose seafloor material, including the cuttings, together with seawater to form slurry which is transferred via a slurry transfer pipe (not shown) from the collectingapparatus 10 to another location such as a riser or stockpile site. - The loose seafloor material is drawn through the spaces between the
discs 22 and into theslurry suction pipe 21. The cuttinghead 50 is typically arranged to produce cuttings of a predetermined size, or at least cuttings that are no larger than a predetermined size. Nevertheless, oversize material (debris over a predetermined size) which maybe from the seafloor or the cuttings, can become lodged betweenadjacent discs 22. As thediscs 22 rotate, the oversize material is lifted with thediscs 22 to theclearing members 24 and theclearing members 24 dislodge the oversize material from thediscs 22. The dislodged oversize material passes over the top of theclearing members 24 andsupport member 26, allowing for the collection device to continue collecting despite the presence of oversize material and without the oversize material gathering in front of the collection device. The oversize material may be processed on further passes of the collectingapparatus 10. - With reference to
FIG. 6 , there is shown a cross sectional schematic view showing adisc 22 and clearingmember 24 according to an alternative embodiment of the invention. The clearingmember 24 has threefinger members 25 which extend radially around ashaft 27. It will be appreciated that typically there are a plurality ofclearing members 24 attached to theshaft 27 and each clearingmember 24 is located at least partially between an adjacent pair ofdiscs 22. - In use, with reference to
FIG. 6 , slurry is drawn through the spaces betweendiscs 22 and into theslurry suction pipe 21.Discs 22 and clearing members 24 (only one shown inFIG. 6 ) both rotate in a clockwise direction. Any oversize material which becomes lodged betweenadjacent discs 22 will rotate with thediscs 22. Once the oversize material (not shown) rotates with thediscs 22 to theclearing members 24, thefinger members 25 of theclearing members 24 dislodge and lift out the oversize material from thediscs 22 as thefinger members 25 rotate. - Advantageously, the invention provides an apparatus and method for collecting seafloor material that filters oversize material (i.e. debris over a predetermined size) from entering the slurry suction pipe. Furthermore, the
discs 22 are self cleaning via their relationship with theclearing members 24 which significantly reduces the likelihood of blockages occurring and/or the need for maintenance to be conducted due to oversize material. The invention improves efficiency and increases the reliability of collection machines, resulting in an improvement to seafloor mining operations. - Throughout the specification the aim has been to describe the invention without limiting the invention to any one embodiment or specific collection of features. Persons skilled in the relevant art may realise variations from the specific embodiments that will nonetheless fall within the scope of the invention. For example, individual features from one embodiment may be combined with another embodiment.
- It will be appreciated that various other changes and modifications may be made to the embodiment described without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
- Throughout this specification the word “comprise”, or variations such as “comprises” or “comprising”, will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps, but not the exclusion of any other element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps.
Claims (26)
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AU2012903244 | 2012-07-27 | ||
AU2012903244A AU2012903244A0 (en) | 2012-07-27 | A self cleaning collection apparatus and method | |
PCT/AU2013/000677 WO2014015361A1 (en) | 2012-07-27 | 2013-06-25 | A self cleaning collection apparatus and method |
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US20150184358A1 true US20150184358A1 (en) | 2015-07-02 |
US9739032B2 US9739032B2 (en) | 2017-08-22 |
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US (1) | US9739032B2 (en) |
EP (1) | EP2877640B1 (en) |
JP (1) | JP6288682B2 (en) |
KR (1) | KR20150038017A (en) |
CN (1) | CN104487634B (en) |
AU (1) | AU2013296124B2 (en) |
ES (1) | ES2694415T3 (en) |
PT (1) | PT2877640T (en) |
WO (1) | WO2014015361A1 (en) |
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US20150252544A1 (en) * | 2014-03-06 | 2015-09-10 | Immeubles Mfp 1006 Inc. | Snowblower auger |
US9739032B2 (en) * | 2012-07-27 | 2017-08-22 | Eda Kopa (Solwara) Limited | Self cleaning collection apparatus and method |
ES2684359A1 (en) * | 2017-03-31 | 2018-10-02 | Nodosa, S.L. | SUBMERGED EQUIPMENT OF AUTONOMOUS DRAGADO (Machine-translation by Google Translate, not legally binding) |
CN113996521A (en) * | 2021-09-15 | 2022-02-01 | 河北邯峰发电有限责任公司 | Cleaning device for axial coal accumulated on roller screen |
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CN107642117A (en) * | 2017-11-03 | 2018-01-30 | 中交上海航道局有限公司 | A kind of cohesive soil cleaning plant for reamer |
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CN113446008A (en) * | 2021-08-04 | 2021-09-28 | 中铁工程装备集团有限公司 | Shaft excavation device and construction method thereof |
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US9739032B2 (en) * | 2012-07-27 | 2017-08-22 | Eda Kopa (Solwara) Limited | Self cleaning collection apparatus and method |
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CN113996521A (en) * | 2021-09-15 | 2022-02-01 | 河北邯峰发电有限责任公司 | Cleaning device for axial coal accumulated on roller screen |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
CN104487634A (en) | 2015-04-01 |
AU2013296124B2 (en) | 2017-12-14 |
PT2877640T (en) | 2018-12-18 |
ES2694415T3 (en) | 2018-12-20 |
CN104487634B (en) | 2019-07-05 |
JP2015524522A (en) | 2015-08-24 |
KR20150038017A (en) | 2015-04-08 |
US9739032B2 (en) | 2017-08-22 |
EP2877640A4 (en) | 2016-03-09 |
AU2013296124A1 (en) | 2015-01-22 |
WO2014015361A1 (en) | 2014-01-30 |
EP2877640A1 (en) | 2015-06-03 |
EP2877640B1 (en) | 2018-08-08 |
JP6288682B2 (en) | 2018-03-07 |
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